Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 256: Making the Right Use of the Shameless Scholars of the Song Dynasty!

Meanwhile, in Xunyang and Jiangzhou, Jiangxi Province.

Jiangzhou, which later became Jiujiang, was located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, making it a convenient place for water transport and a thriving commercial center.

Since the Song Dynasty, China has intensified its development in the south, and this city has become increasingly prosperous, becoming one of the most bustling places in Jiangnan.

Now, Chen Wei has led the entire Jiangxi province to change its flag, and Jiangzhou has become Zhao Shuo's residence.

Zhao Shuo has not continued his advance towards Lin'an these days, also because of Chen Wei's change of allegiance.

There's no other reason than that since Chen Wei is a rare talent, Zhao Shuo naturally wants to give him an important position.

Zhao Shuo renamed Jiangnan West Circuit of the Song Dynasty as Jiangxi Province, and Chen Wei continued to serve as the Jiangxi Pacification Commissioner.

Not only that, but what should be done with the local officials in the entire Jiangxi province?
After careful consideration, Zhao Shuo finalized the plan.

All officials who made great contributions during the process of following Chen Wei's surrender will continue to serve in Jiangxi, with their duties unchanged, but they will need to change their official titles according to Zhao Shuo's system.

The remaining officials, as long as they actively cooperate with the land redistribution and have no blood debts to blame from the people, have two choices.

Firstly, from then on, they were treated as ordinary citizens, just like everyone else.

Secondly, they could retain their official status, but they would need to immigrate to the West with their entire families and be hired based on their talents.

If we consider it from a malicious perspective, then wanting to become an official is possible, but the whole family must be exiled to a foreign land. But what if we consider it from a benevolent perspective?
As news of Zhao Shuo's western expedition spread, the horizons of the Chinese people broadened.

The West also has fertile lands, its own civilization, and a large population!
What's wrong with becoming an official there?
Moreover, the West was devastated by the Mongol army and in dire need of rebuilding, making it the easiest place to achieve merit!
From the perspective of literati and officials, spreading Chinese culture to foreign lands and transforming conquered, untamed land into fertile Chinese soil was one of their ultimate dreams.

Wasn't it because the Song Dynasty was too weak in the past that the scholar-officials could only fight amongst themselves?

Now, it's time to get down to business!
Warriors used swords to expand the territory of China, while scholars used their pens to transform the newly born land into fertile land for China!

For Zhao Shuo, this was a sure-fire way to make money.

Firstly, these people migrated to the West with their entire families, injecting a large number of Chinese people into the West.

Secondly, they and their families were all literate, making them an extremely valuable human resource in this era.

Zhao Shuo had always wanted to ban all languages ​​and scripts of other ethnic groups, leaving only Chinese, Mongolian, and Chinese and Mongolian characters. Chinese was relatively easy to manage, but there simply weren't many people promoting Chinese characters. Even if heroes from other ethnic groups wanted to learn them, there was no one to teach them!
The arrival of these scholar-official families was very beneficial to Zhao Shuo in promoting Chinese characters.

Thirdly, and most importantly.

The scholar-officials of the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty were somewhat different.

The scholar-officials of the Ming Dynasty were corrupt, selfish, and incompetent, making it impossible for the court to even collect taxes; they were utterly useless.

Although the scholar-officials of the Song Dynasty had many shortcomings, their administrative abilities did not decline, and their greatest strength lay in their ability to amass wealth.

Although the Southern Song Dynasty was wealthy, the fact that these officials could extract over 100 million strings of cash in revenue annually from half of China's territory was truly astonishing to Zhao Shuo.

Furthermore, the Song Dynasty implemented a policy of "strengthening the central government and weakening local powers," with elite troops concentrated in the capital and on the borders. Although there were many peasant uprisings in the Song Dynasty, most of them were contained within a single province by local officials, demonstrating the Song Dynasty's considerable ability to suppress them.

Furthermore, these people show no mercy to anyone, regardless of their religious beliefs.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, monks and Taoist priests enjoyed various privileges.

However, during the Southern Song Dynasty, although monks and Taoist priests were exempt from the poll tax, they still had to pay land tax and corvée labor fees (paying money to avoid corvée labor). When the imperial court faced financial difficulties, officials even demanded "leisure money" from monks and Taoist priests, and the poll tax was even collected under a different name. As for other methods of extorting monks and Taoist priests, such as "purchasing" and "selling," they emerged one after another.

They were like ruthless tax-collecting machines, extracting mountains and seas of wealth from all the people of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Of course, after such a massive amount of wealth was collected, it was completely consumed by the redundant soldiers, officials, and troops of the Song Dynasty, as well as by the embezzlement of the scholar-officials. It was not used in the right place at all. It was truly a case of "taking every last penny and using it like dirt."

Zhao Shuo decided to restrict their use in the West.

In principle, they can only manage the collection of money, not the spending. They are only allowed to manage people of other ethnicities, not the Chinese.

Let them use their power of gathering and suppressing on other races!

This would both reduce the population of foreign tribes and accumulate a large amount of military funds for Zhao Shuo's territorial expansion. Why not do it?
It would be even better if they could manage these alien races into a flock of silent lambs who value literature over martial arts.

In any case, Zhao Shuo's decree on the surrender of officials in Jiangxi had an excellent effect.

For most scholar-officials, their greatest wish in life was to become an official, regardless of where they served or whom they were appointed to.

Besides, many of the scholars under Zhao Shuo's command went on to serve as officials in the West! It's not like they were being treated unfairly!

Those ambitious scholars and officials even more so wanted to establish their own achievements in foreign lands.

When Zhao Shuo's army marched into Jiangxi, the land redistribution proceeded very smoothly with the cooperation of local officials.

This event had an unexpected effect: it spurred the surrender of other regions.

Originally, for Yu Jie, Zhao Fan, Zhao Kui, and others, directly betraying the Song Dynasty was something they were truly ashamed of.

Moreover, the Song Dynasty had always implemented a policy of "counterbalance between high and low ministers," so it was one thing for them to hold onto their military power and act independently. However, if they surrendered to Zhao Shuo, there would be a lot of internal opposition.

However, as soon as the news of Jiangxi's change of allegiance came out, Yu Jie and Zhao Fan became somewhat uneasy.

It's a simple principle: everyone remaining inactive demonstrates goodwill towards Zhao Shuo. But now that Chen Wei has directly sided with Zhao Shuo, doesn't that overshadow their goodwill towards him?

Chen Wei is currently appointed as the Pacification Commissioner of Jiangxi. If they surrender after Zhao Shuo has captured Lin'an, what official position will they receive?
I'm afraid his future position will be below Chen Wei's!
Whether you invest early or late, it's all the same, so why bother?

Furthermore, their subordinates, especially the civil servants, were also getting restless.

These scholar-officials were naturally very dissatisfied with Zhao Shuo's plan to divide their land. However, wasn't it because Zhao Shuo was ruthless and they were unwilling to risk their lives?

Since they couldn't stop Zhao Shuo from dividing their land, they could only settle for second best and hope for better treatment in the future.

Those who voluntarily surrender and have rendered meritorious service will retain their original positions!

In a short time, countless prominent civil officials personally went to the commander's mansion to persuade Zhao Fan to surrender to Zhao Shuo.

Military officers also began to stir, forming alliances and submitting joint petitions.

When Zhao Fan uncovered a case of "treason," and several officers conspired to kill him and surrender to Zhao Shuo, he could no longer sit still.

For these officers, since surrendering to Zhao Shuo was the will of the people, wouldn't it be easy for them to gain wealth and glory after killing Zhao Fan and raising their arms to call for help?
For Zhao Fan, whether he surrendered a few days earlier or later was not only a matter of his future, but also a matter of his life and fortune!

Compared to that, what does reputation matter!

Therefore, after discussing with his brother Zhao Kui and the main civil and military officials of Lianghuai, Zhao Fan took the initiative to switch sides and sent envoys to Zhao Shuo, requesting Zhao Shuo to send a large army into Lianghuai to incorporate the Song army in Lianghuai and carry out land redistribution in Lianghuai.

Three days after the news of the change of flags in Lianghuai reached Sichuan, Yu Jie, along with Sichuan civil and military officials, announced the change of flags in Sichuan!
Then, Li Zhi, the Hunan Pacification Commissioner, stopped pretending to lead his troops to search for and suppress Wang Wen's rebel army and directly switched sides!

At this point, the entire Jiangnan region, including Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Sichuan, and Jiangxi, was entirely under Zhao Shuo's control.

The Southern Song Dynasty was left with only most of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, and Guangdong.

With so many things happening, Zhao Shuo had to constantly send troops to establish rule in the areas where the flags had been changed, so he temporarily couldn't attend to the Southern Song court.

He is currently stationed in Jiangzhou, overseeing the overall situation of the country.

……

……

Inside the Jiangzhou Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, the land redistribution in Jiangxi has been completed. Seventy percent of the surrendered officials from Jiangxi are willing to move their entire families to the west. The remaining thirty percent, either too old or too frail to endure the long journey, wish to return to their homeland and serve Your Majesty in bringing peace and prosperity to your people. This is the list; please review it, Your Majesty!" This was Chen Wei's second audience with Zhao Shuo.

After he changed his allegiance, he led seventeen key civil and military officials from Jiangxi to pay homage to Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Shuo appointed them all to official positions and sent three commanders of the Han Army's Plain Blue Banner to accompany them into Jiangxi to carry out land redistribution and other related matters.

Now that Jiangxi has been largely digested, and Zhao Shuo happens to be stationed in Jiujiang, he directly summons Chen Wei to Jiujiang to report on his work.

"very good."

Zhao Shuo took the list, glanced at it, and placed it on the imperial desk. He said, "Jiangxi is a large province. I only sent three commanders of ten thousand households there, and you were able to complete the land redistribution within two months. This truly demonstrates your talent."

Chen Wei quickly bowed and said, "It is mainly due to Your Majesty's prestige and the cooperation of local officials that I was able to fulfill my mission."

"Sit down, there's no need to be so formal."

In the Song Dynasty, ever since Zhao Kuangyin "removed the chair," the prime minister no longer had the power to "sit and discuss the Way" with the emperor, as was the case in the Han and Tang Dynasties.

However, Zhao Shuo did not have so many rules. Apart from bowing when meeting, he still allowed important officials to sit down to reply.

He picked up a letter from the table and said, "Besides having you report on your duties, I also have something I'd like to ask you. Take a look at this letter; it's from the Crown Prince."

"Yes."

Chen Wei took the letter, read it carefully, and then his expression changed slightly. He stood up again, knelt down, and said, "Your subject dares to speak presumptuously; this matter is absolutely unacceptable!"

Zhao Shuo said, "Why not?"

"Your Highness intends to build a canal connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, at the cost of millions of lives in Egypt and Syria. I believe this is absolutely unacceptable. Qin Shi Huang unified the world and built the Epang Palace and the Great Wall, yet the world turned against him. The example of Emperor Yang of Sui building the Grand Canal serves as a stark warning. Your Majesty, you must be extremely cautious!"

Zhao Shuo shook his head slightly and said, "I don't think so. Chen Wei, think about it: if Qin Shi Huang unified the world and used the Chinese people as his base, capturing the Baiyue people in the south and the Xiongnu people in the north to build his Great Wall and Epang Palace, wouldn't the people of the six states rebel? When Emperor Yang of Sui conquered Goguryeo when China was at its peak, using a million Goguryeo people to build the Grand Canal, wouldn't the people rebel then?"

"This……"

Chen Wei was truly stumped by the question.

Yes, the Qin people were able to rise to power because of their unique military meritocracy. But with such a great achievement as conquering the six states, how much land and houses would the soldiers be entitled to? How many Han Chinese people would have to be enslaved to satisfy their appetites?

Qin Shi Huang really couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.

Left with no other option, Qin Shi Huang had to renege on his promise and transferred 500,000 elite troops away from the Central Plains to develop Lingnan.

It's fine to be lenient with the Chinese people, but don't send these elite soldiers to farm!
Not to mention conscripting people on a large scale to build massive projects when the people of the six states have not yet won their hearts!

By the time of Qin Er Shi, the whole country was in rebellion, and even the 500,000 elite soldiers had lost their loyalty to Qin. It would be an injustice if Qin hadn't fallen.

What if we try a different approach?
What if Qin Shi Huang hadn't used these elite troops to expand into Lingnan, but instead sent them to conquer Lingnan and then conquer the Xiongnu?

With the resources of the Baiyue and Xiongnu people, we can satisfy the appetites of these arrogant and fierce generals. What's wrong with letting these captured slaves build the Great Wall and the Epang Palace?
And Emperor Yang of Sui, wouldn't it have been better to conquer Goguryeo first, and then use Goguryeo slaves to build the Grand Canal?
Are the common people so bored that they're rebelling?

With the martial arts skills to destroy Goryeo, how could those powerful clans possibly turn the tide?
As he pondered, a flash of lightning seemed to strike Chen Wei's mind, and everything became clear.

He kowtowed again and said, "I was utterly foolish and ignorant just now, failing to understand the profound meaning of Your Majesty and the Crown Prince. Now I understand. The countless foreign tribes in this world are truly a gift from Heaven to our China. We must use their resources to support our mighty army and their people to build the foundation of our nation. This is the way for China to prosper forever!"

Zhao Shuo nodded and said, "It's very good that you think this way. In the future, you should tell others about this principle more often, so that they understand that I am willing to share the world with the Han and the Mongols and hold the world in my hands. Those who can keep up with me and are capable may be ennobled and appointed as ministers. Even those who are less capable can still enjoy wealth and peace."

"The minister obeys the order."

Zhao Shuo continued, "The reason I showed you that letter earlier was actually to ask you to recommend someone for me. Who do you think is suitable to oversee the construction of this canal?"

"Uh……"

Chen Wei thought for a moment, then carefully chose his words and said, "Such a massive project is unprecedented in history. As for who can definitely build the new canal, I really can't think of anyone. However, I can recommend someone for Your Majesty to consider."

"You said."

"This man is named Hu Ju, the grandson of Hu Quan, a famous minister of the Song Dynasty. He currently holds the position of Minister of Works in the Song Dynasty."

"Nine years ago, when Hu Ju was the prefect of Qingyuan, he oversaw the reconstruction of Dongqian Lake. At that time, Dongqian Lake was plagued by weeds and siltation, covering more than 20,000 mu, which greatly reduced the water storage capacity and made it unusable for the people. Hu Ju requested 120,000 strings of cash from the Song Dynasty court and mobilized local soldiers, civilians and people to clear the silt. Since the completion of the reconstruction, Dongqian Lake has not been plagued by weeds again."

Dongqian Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Zhejiang Province, and it is three times larger than West Lake in Hangzhou.

Hu Ju's ability to manage this lake is truly remarkable.

But it is clear that the project to clean up Dongqian Lake is far inferior to the project to build the Suez Canal.

Who should we send?
Is Guo Shoujing even born yet?

Guo Shoujing's teacher, Liu Bingzhong, should be under twenty years old now, and Zhao Shuo doesn't know where he is now.

However, there's no rush. Zhao He will only begin constructing the Suez Canal after he has completely conquered Egypt. Moreover, the construction of the Suez Canal in the 19th century took ten years and resulted in the deaths of 120,000 people; how much more so in this era?

Such a massive project cannot be expected to be completed in a short period of time; that is completely unrealistic.

Zhao Shuo decided to ask others for recommendations to see if there were any suitable candidates. If all else failed, he would send Hu Ju to Egypt to carry out some preparatory work.

Of course, Hu Ju is still serving as the Minister of Works in Lin'an, so Zhao Shuo has to destroy the Song Dynasty first.

After Chen Wei took his leave, Zhao Shuo ordered someone to summon Jia Sidao, the envoy from the State of Song who had sought peace.

With Jiangxi, Sichuan, Lianghuai, and Hunan all falling into Zhao Shuo's hands, the Song court had no other options and naturally sought peace.

They even chose an envoy with a special identity—Jia Sidao, the brother of Consort Jia.

Lady Jia was given to Zhao Shuo by the Song people four years ago. Although the Song state did not know whether Lady Jia was favored by Zhao Shuo, having this connection was better than nothing, right?

Many of Zhao Shuo's troops were sent to take over local areas, implement the equal distribution of land, and reorganize the Eight Banners.

Zhao Shuo was not in a hurry to destroy the Song Dynasty. He granted Jia Sidao a few days' grace before finally summoning him today.

"Jia Sidao pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Jia Sidao was only twenty years old this year. He had some resemblance to his older sister in his features. His handsome face had a touch of effeminacy. He knelt respectfully in front of Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Shuo hadn't yet figured out how to arrange things for Jia Sidao.

Historical records indicate that Jia Sidao had a bad reputation, having caused the deaths of countless loyal ministers and generals of the Song Dynasty.

However, given that this person wielded immense power in the court, even with the influence of Consort Jia, he must have been quite extraordinary.

He didn't even let Jia Sidao stand up, and asked directly, "Tell me, what exactly are the conditions for the Song court to send you here?"

Jia Sidao was a clever man, and he reported directly: "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. The Song Kingdom's stated condition is to offer Zhejiang and Fujian to Your Majesty, only asking to retain Guangnan East Road and Guangnan West Road. But if Your Majesty does not agree, Zhao Yun is willing to surrender the entire country. He only asks that Your Majesty issue a decree to the world to guarantee the safety of Zhao Yun and the Song royal family's lives and property."

"I can't give that guarantee."

Zhao Shuo shook his head without hesitation and said, "The Song Dynasty has been established for nearly three hundred years, and too many emperors have let down the military."

"Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen, wronged Di Qing, and Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, unjustly killed Yue Fei. Xin Qiji's 'Ten Offerings of Beautiful Celery' was such a profound and insightful work, yet Emperor Xiaozong of Song, Zhao Shen, rejected it. And the current emperor of Song, Zhao Yun, has even caused the death of Meng Gong's mother."

"If I pardon Zhao Yun, how can I explain it to Meng Gong? How am I any different from those foolish rulers of Song?"

“Go back and tell the Song court that they are willing to surrender, of course. But I want to vent my anger for the warriors who have been wronged by the Song.”

"So what if he's the emperor? Everyone else can be pardoned, but Zhao Yun is the only one who cannot!"

(End of this chapter)